Regular readers of Midwest Guest know that Detroit's annual Concert of Colors, a multi-day festival of expressing unity and diversity through an eclectic bill of world music and some of the Detroit area's finest new and vintage music is one of our favorite events of the summer.
This year, the festival's 23rd annual outing promises to be every bit as entertaining and inspiring as ever, judging from the schedule of events and impressive variety of music on tap for festival goers.
Enjoy a few favorite images that Tim and I made during previous Concert of Colors years, while I give you a quick taste of this year's Concert of Colors schedule.
The festival's celebration starts with a "Tune Up" concert on Saturday, July 4 at Detroit's New Center Park hosted by DJ Ismael from Public Radio's WDET This Island Earth Show.
Groove to the Latin funk of Spam Allstars during the 9 p.m. concert as an appetizer for the rest of the festival, which happens the next weekend.
Wednesday, July 8 brings an opportunity to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Arab American National Museum, attend an interactive Forum on Community, Culture and Race and enjoy a community-style Iftar dinner modeled after traditional Ramadan observances of breaking fast together at the museum in Dearborn. The program starts at 7 p.m., RSVP required.
Thursday, July 9 brings another opportunity to celebrate an anniversary as the festival heads to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History to help celebrate its golden anniversary with a program of hip hop and more hosted by Mike Ellison and a cast of talented friends in the museum's main theater at 8 p.m. And don't miss a menu of multicultural-multigenerational poetry readings in the museum's multi-media room starting at 6:30 p.m.
Friday, July 10 the Concert of Colors festival heads to the Detroit Institute of Arts, which also celebrates, you guessed it, an anniversary this year! The DIA celebrates its 130th anniversary and the varied bill of fare at the festival this evening includes the pop/jazz of Leftover Cuties, a multi-media presentation as a tribute to the art of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo to close out the DIA's blockbuster exhibit dedicated to those two artists and a showing of the film, Jauja, starring Viggo Mortensen (in Danish with English subtitles). Programs start at 4 p.m.
The Concert of Colors kicks into high gear with its penultimate day, moving to Max M. Fisher Music Center (home to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra) on Saturday, July 11.
The action starts at 1 p.m. with crafts, children's activities, food trucks and unique vendors on hand as music lovers can check out some great music across the venue's three stages.
Enjoy the Ukrainian music of DahkaBrakha, followed by Moroccan music from sintir (a three-stringed lute) master Hassan Hakmoun and King Sunny Ade's Nigerian juju music on the Main Stage.
The Diversity Stage, fronted by a dance floor, hosts acts that include techno from DJ Alsultany and the Celtic Rock of the Corktown Popes (we loved seeing this act at a previous Concert of Colors).
The Wolverine Outdoor Stage hosts a really eclectic bill that includes funk, Puerto Rican folk, acoustic blues, R&B/jazz and more.
Sunday, July 12 marks the return of what is always our favorite part of the festival: The Don Was Detroit All-Star Revue, a collection of performances from Detroit artists. This year, the Revue honors the legendary radio disc jockey, The Electrifying Mojo, whose radio shows during the late 1970s and early 1980s brought listeners a stew of tasty musical treats that brought together funk, rock and electronic music in a way that greatly influenced the development of the techno music that gained fame in Detroit.
The Revue starts at 8 p.m. on the Main Stage. Other Main Stage acts this night include Plena Libre with a bill of Puerto Rican Plena and Bomba music and Bossa Nova music from Vinicius Cantuaria.
The Diversity Stage hosts a bill that includes Playdate, an imaginative kids' music program with Paula Messner and Maggie McCabe, and Latin Fusion from LaChiva Gantriva, which started as several Columbian students paying percussion instruments together before picking up more musician friends to create a unique Afrobeat, rock, funk, rap and jazz influenced sound.
Sunday's program on the Wolverine Outdoor Stage includes blues, folk, R&B, jazz and pop performances.
Sunday's schedule, like Saturday's, begins at 1 p.m.
Check out the Concert of Colors Web site for more details about the Concert of Colors schedule and artists.
Best of all, this great multi-day festival of performance and celebration is absolutely FREE!
Text © Dominique King 2015 All rights reserved
Photos © Dominique King and Tim Marks 2015 All rights reserved
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